Mr Brightside
by Blueorchid31
Summary: My personal view of what happened between Chapter 699 and 700. SasuSaku and other couples. What happened after the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War? When Sasuke returned to the Village? Meanwhile; what happened to all the other characters; especially Sakura? Hope you like.
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

This is my story.

In many ways, you'll find it absurd and bizarre; but it could not be different; since I am the protagonist.

"_My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things; and I do not particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream; Because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan; and in Certain kill someone. _"

No, this is old - _but always makes its effect._

I have traveled the world; trying to expiate my many sins that still continue to haunt me insistently. I learned many things during this trip; I saw amazing places and met people who have taught me to live again. I needed all this: I had to see with my own eyes, _these new eyes,_ and still understand what was wrong with me and the world around me; to be who I am now ...

"I am Sasuke Uchiha. I continue to hate a lot of things - _indeed they are perhaps increased_ \- and I do not particularly like anything - _except the tomatoes,but by now this is a common knowledge_. I dreamed of being the "new wind" of Konoha; but a Baka stole me the place and one arm. I still have an ambition and this time does not include fratricides...

... I want to restore my Clan "

**"Mr Brightside"**

_  
Writer's Corner_

_Here I am ..._

_I've always loved to write in this context and I must say the truth; after writing some stories au ... I missed it._

_But lately on sasusaku; except for the chapter 685; lacked the material. So I waited until the end of the manga. We're CANON! OMG! You can not imagine my joy! My brain diverted immediately began to process the most impossible fans to write. This should fill the void; hopefully not unbridgeable; between Chapter 699 and 700. I hope to answer those questions that we asked ourselves ... like:"Sakura gets pregnant by the Holy Spirit?":-)_

_I will try to be very faithful to the IC of the characters. My goal is to write a plausible story.  
There are funny; dramatic and romantic moments.  
As always; if there are any errors; please point out them to me. Thank You._

_Hope you like it._

_Happy reading._

_a big kiss_

_Blueorchi31_

_Disclaimer: The characters are not mine but of Masashi Kishimoto and the phrase used in the prologue is a quote from the manga. The rest of the story is my own invention with references to the original manga. _


	2. I'm sorry - part 1

_**"**__**I'm sorry**__**"**_

_**"How to re-open a closed chapter"**_

_**\- Part one -**_

"_So, they were here, after all..._ "

Sakura had reached them with a catlike jump and after realizing the gravity of the situation she had kneaded chakra and started to remedy that disaster.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed with his usual kindness.

The girl doesn't even deem them worthy of a glance , panicked by the bloody wound, amputation. They were two idiots! How they had reduced themselves that way? Was that face-off really necessary?

She would never understand those two, by now she had resigned and ... they do not deserve to have more than one arm. Idiots.

"Sakura, I ... "

So here is, the supreme idiot; the concentrate divine of epic crap.

"Just shut up for now. I'm concentrating!" and to have him so close to her, helpless and shabby, in and of itself was not to help her, it would have been too much to hear anything he had to say.

So, with an unexpected surge of pride that she did not even know from where it originated, she had promptly silenced him, while tears piled up to the limits of the eyelids and pressed to exit.

She felt stupid. She was crying, again. Sasuke, after all, not was entirely wrong to consider her boring and unbearable, considering that she did nothing but cry in his presence.

And she was afraid, no, she was terrified at the thought that he might say something stupid, forcing her to permanently embed his body in the marble hand of Madara Uchiha with a well-aimed punch - the rage on a cripple went against the Hippocratic oath.

He had watched her fight against the tears with his one eye open and he had suddenly felt ... _a __pile of __shit._

The great Sasuke Uchiha felt like shit and not just for the poor conditions in which he was: he had rationalized that he had hurt everyone, including her - especially her.

He had never really asked himself why he had overplayed his hand so much with her, taking almost a sadistic delight to reject and denigrate her. After all, she did not represent a danger to the realization of his distorted dream; Naruto was his enemy, he was the greatest obstacle. Nevertheless, when Sakura had repeated to love him for the umpteenth time, blinded by an insane rage, he had tried to get out from the weight of those words that had awakened in him distant memories: the love of his mother, the warmth of a family. He had reacted nastily to that painful feeling, considering that attempt to stop him like boring and unlikely.

How that silly little girls could think about frivolous things like love, when he had explained clearly what were his intentions?

Probably, she had hoped to be able to stop him, fooling him with those pathetic slush, as in the Land of Iron; but he had a plan, a purpose and no one would stop him.

Moreover, how she was thinking about him still in that way? He believed that he was quite clear about. After all he had done to her, the way he treated her, where it came from that security? How she could declare to love him? What attracted her to him? He was certainly not a blatant example of a man whom one could easily fall in love, but she, diehard, continued to cry and tell him everything would be fine, that they would be happy together.

He had heard enough nonsense. He had to silence her, to shut her liar and inane mouth, to lower the curtain on that scene already seen previously, to clarify once and for all that her love had no chance and especially he had to avoid that she could follow them - he did not want to have her around. It _was the last of his desires._

He had runned through the breastbone, the heart. Her tears were crystallized in her wide open eyes and only a moan of pain was gone from her lips, before collapsing unconscious on the ground. In that time he had not felt any regret for what he had done, no pain or sorrow. he believed it was the right thing to do because whatever the epilogue of that battle had been , she should have considered him like a _closed chapter._

Therefore, it was more than possible that she hated him, that she no longer wanted to look him in the face. He looked sadly her eyes full of tears, her narrow lips and trembling hands that still oozed all the love that she had reserved only to him, as always, and he realized - finally - that chapter was not yet closed, not quite, _perhaps _...

Suddenly he felt lost, terrified by the knowledge that he deserved her hatred, and he had hoped that she could forgive him. This time, however, he should have done the first step, he should humble himself in front of her.

Despite her peremptory order to be silent, his lips had articulated three words, the most appropriates.

"_I'm sorry _"

And the heart of Sakura had lost a beat. Actually it had lost them all ... it had stopped and was barely able to start again and the tears began to fall like a river in flood.

After the shock, she had taken courage. For once he was voluntarily placed himself in fault, he admitted that among the multitudes of bullshits he had done, probably there were some which related her personally. But not being entirely sure, she wanted to clarify what he meant ...

"_You're sorry? For what?_ "

She did not expect him to make a list of all the times that he had acted as a bastard - a whole day would not be enough - or that he would say to her something silly - it would be too good to be true. She was not surprised, therefore, when she heard him summarize all in five words.

"_For __everything up till now_ "

Vague, too vague, very vague. Obscenely vague.

Obviously, her thoughts were not focused on nukenin who had become, on having tried to kill Raikage's brother, killing his brother, then Danzo, on his key role for the start of the war and finally on having tried to kill Naruto... _but on a bench, a kunai to h__er__ throat and __on__ his hand inside __her__breastbone._

"_You__'d __better __damn well be__!_" exclaimed, considering herself lucky for that little more than nothing that he had given her, adding a "_Shannaroo... you jerk_!" liberating.

These words were heard and restrictive compared to the insults that he deserved.

she wanted to insult him for too long a time and she thought that, probably, trashed in that way, she would not run the risk of being charred by an amaterasu.

She felt lighter. The big burden, that she had carried for four years, had finally found relief.

What he thought? That she would cry and she would whisper his name?

she had been crying, it is true, but the little pride, that was left in her, had chosen the insult instead of: "Sasuke-kun, you have been too rash, I love you the same even if you're a little psychotic bastard and without an arm. It does not matter if you've tried to kill me - twice in a row - if you've insulted me as the latest shit of the universe and if you have locked me in a jutsu where your arm pierced me like meat cooked on a spit, right in the direction of my heart in love. It does not matter, as long as you're here, healthy - more or less - and safe. " Tipical band boring speech by Sakura. _No, it would not be the case to say those words._

She had cried, cried like never before, for relief and anger. And they had smile.

Even Sasuke - extraordinarily.

She could not remember the last time she saw his smile. Sure it was not like Naruto's smile: thirty-two white teeth; it was crooked, as that of a person who does not know how to do it, and then and there, with her eyes obfuscate by tears, it seemed almost a figment of her imagination.

Yes, he had smiled, recognizing her forgiveness in that insult. That strange attitude that Sakura had always had to forgive him always.. Of course the idea of being insulted by her was very strange. Probably, in the past, she would have added a "Kun" not to exceed, but at that moment he thought it more than appropriate, almost ironic.

Perhaps Sakura, like Naruto, was the only person in the world that had always understood him.

In that time he had not thought about later, he had enjoyed that moment of peace he had not felt in a long time. No thought, no pain, except the physical, harbored in his Being.

On those hands of marble, Team 7 had met again. It seemed as time had not passed, nothing happened: Naruto smiled and Sakura cried. A charming scene very familiar.

Kakashi was left on the sidelines. He knew he would ne out le piace because his children needed to be alone. By now they had grown, but in the end, they were still the same.

Naruto and Sasuke still had something to do before returning home. They dissolved the Infinite Tsukuyomi , awakening all from eternal dream in which they were locked up. The war was really over.

Sasuke also satisfied Naruto's request to release the Tailed beasts and at the same time he was able to reflect on all that had happened, on loneliness and his desire for revenge.

He realized he was never been alone because his friend, _his brother_, had always shared the pain he felt. He had lived for too long in the memory of the life that had been taken away from him, not realizing that he was losing the opportunity of living one different. He had loaded on his shoulders sorrows and hopes of his parents, of his brother, believing that the only way forward was revenge.

_**He was alone and hungry for love in a world full of hate and more he felt the **__**grip**__** of **__**fear, **__**more he walked away all who would know how to **__**placate it.**_

Naruto had never abandoned him, and now he could finally understand why he thought of him as a brother. The two of them were the same things, they were united by the same desires, the same fears; they were united by a fate that had put them to an hard test to help them understand the true essence of friendship and... love.

**( to be continued...)**

_Writer's corner_

_Hello everyone!_

_I'm really sorry but I had to divide the chapter because it was too complicated for me to translate. I'm a donkey braying. :-)_

_In the Italian version there are some ironic jokes and I hope that the translation has not changed them too._

_I would like to thank the users who have entered the history in the list of favorite and who just read. Thank you so much! Really. _

_I hope you enjoy it. I would love to know your opinions. I am sorry if there are mistakes._

_This chapter is an introduction, there are still some quote taken from the original manga. In the near the real story begins. I will try to publish it as soon as possible. I'll see you soon. _

_Blueorchid31_


	3. I'm sorry - part 2

"**I'm sorry"  
-Part two-  
**

Sasuke Uchiha had not remotely imagined that those "discoveries" could have a cost.

He was forced to pronounce the two magic words - "I'm sorry" - to all the ninjas of the Alliance, who just found out what was the tent where the two heroes - or the hero and a half - were recovering, began a slow and grueling procession.

Obviously, the Kage had taken precedence.

Tsunade was very severe with him, Sakura's insult was a compliment in comparison to the vulgarity of the blonde who had begun with idiot, ending with fucking bastard traitor, through epithets that is better not to relate.

The Hokage had concluded his speech by assuring them that they would have recovered the missing limbs, remembering to the Uchiha that he should be fortunate to still have his heads attached to his neck.

Sasuke had obviously responded: "I'm sorry." And his tone was quite persuasive.

With Raikage was even worse ... He was still furious for the severed arm in the Iron Land and the attempted murder of Killer Bee, who, however, had solved the problem with "Hey brother, war is finished, the villaines are vanished, you are for me a friend, but you can change your trend " Sasuke had raised an eyebrow and asked mentally to Naruto, his tent mate, if he had all his marbles. The blond smiled slyly, as if to say: "Look who's talking".

The deep voice of the Raikage had thundered for a nice half hour, demanding justice. For him it was unacceptable that Sasuke could be considered a hero after all he had done, finding support even in the Tsuchikage who was terrified he could become the new Madara Uchiha.

Mei, the Mizukage, had instead pointed out how the gene Uchiha, when combined well, could proliferate powerful ninjas and the others had watched her a little shocked, believing that she had ambitions in that way. Sasuke's eyes widened listening her words, although among his many purposes was also to restore the Clan, he needed a mother, not a grandmother for his children.

Gaara, until then had remained silent, scrutinizing the two ninjas who after many adventures and battles were there, side by side. He always knew in his heart Sasuke was not bad, it was the life to make him so, just as it had happened to himself. Although he and Naruto had in common the fact of being a jinchūriki that had alienated them from all he had always felt so close to Uchiha. He, too, had experienced the thrill of that darkness induced by survival instinct. Naruto had been crucial in the difficult path that led him to be what he was: the Kazekage of the Sand Land, a good brother and a man more peaceful. He was very grateful to Naruto and Sasuke had also definitely think that way : his attitude was not arrogant or conceited; He listened with his eyes down. From time to time he saw him holding in your fingers the sheet and refrain from uttering something.

Naruto often intervened in his defense, as he had always done, but it seemed as if both were hiding something.

"I demand that he be punished severely! He is a traitor! " The Raikage finally concluded.

"Yes, but without him it would not be possible to dissolve the Tsukuyomi and during the war helped us"

All turned towards Gaara.

"What do you propose, then?" Tsuchikage asked.

"Give him a chance to start over," replied briefly. The concept was very clear: he wanted to convince them to forgive his faults and let him choose the way forward.

"And if he should decide to attack us?" Continued the dwarf with red nose, stroking his long white mustache.

"I will stop him" Naruto replied resolutely.

That phrase reassured a bit 'all. After all he had already stopped him once.

Sakura had waited outside the tent that the "council of Kage" ended.

Since Sasuke and Naruto had taken up residence in the medical field, as well as medications, had not had the opportunity to be with them.

they were healing with unprecedented speed and soon they would be able to return to Konoha. Wherease on one hand she was relieved to return home on the other hand she was afraid that it would be difficult for Sasuke. The idea that he could decide to go away again was all too realistic.

And she would cry _again_. And she would be desperate _again_. And she would let him go, _again_.

She had not considered that he could - maybe - thinking to return her feelings for once. He had told her "I'm sorry for everything up till now," not "marry me and help me to restore my Clan." Moreover, in those days, they had had so little time to talk and except for a few fleeting glance and a few smiles (her smiles, because he had again forgotten how to do it), nothing more.

She not expected the clarification of the century and then, with Naruto always in the way, Sasuke would never say anything unbalanced.

And she raked her brain. She wanted to ask him many questions and, this time, he would have to answer. She was tired of living in uncertainty. She had to wait for him? Or forget him forever?

What was she to him? A woman with whom he could start a family? A friend? Or a sister?

The last option made her shiver. In that case she would have preferred not to know.

But everything suggested something like this: he considered Naruto like a brother, so she was the sister and Kakashi was his father?

She would have preferred to jump from the Mount of Hokage and splashed to the ground instead of hearing such nonsense.  
Ino had told her to leave him alone for a while , so that "Where do you think he goes?" She had suggested to her to give him time to resume a normal life, not to press him, because Sasuke Uchiha was a bit as "A caged lion, a big hairy kitten looking for snuggles, but basically inclined to wild life." These comparisons of Ino, even if they could make her smile, made her even more angry, because she would have paid any amount to cuddle that beautiful big cat.

However, Ino had reason about whether to leave him with the long leash for a while, even if the murmur of girls in the medical field of "How good the nukenin was", created her some tingling of her hands and sooner or then, she knew, would break out, making a massacre.

Finally she came out of the Kage and slipped inside the tent, before anyone had the brilliant idea to require her presence elsewhere.

Naruto had a face like a funeral, Sasuke ... the usual face.

The most unlikely options began to tarnish her brain: they had sentenced him to death - she would follow him; they had exiled him - even then she would follow him; they imprisoned him for life - she would go to visit him every day - and his brain continued to draw apocalyptic scenarios, until Naruto explained the real reason of his pout.

"Kakashi is the new Hokage"

Sakura could not suppress a laugh, pulling a deep sigh of relief and mentally thinking "Who cares!"

"The dobe thought that his arm was worth the nomination" sharp as usual. How she loved him! And she was happy to hear his voice again, She did not care to know if one day he decided to return her feelings or not, she just wanted to hear his voice whenever she who were willing.  
"Shut up, Teme! It's all your fault! "Naruto railed, crossing his arms and pouted.

It was so nice to see them bickering, but Sakura needed to know the decision of Kage about an issue that she was particularly interested.

"In the matter of you, Sasuke-kun?" She asked with the same hesitancy of a twelve year old, blushing like a pepper and putting a hand in front of her lips.

"They have yet to decide"

That mischievous fox had not even given him time to answer. If he had not been in a cot battered, she would have thought to pound him for good.

"But we have an ace in the hole, right Sas'ke? "He continued, giving him a cunning smile.

Sasuke nodded, becoming more serious than he already was not.

What they were referring? What they had in mind? Because she was always the last to know things?

She wanted to deepen the discussion but she had plenty to do and wanted to help Tsunade to create the two arts from the cells of Hashirama, so she let it go.

Surely those two knew what to do and she would not have to wait that long to find out what they had in mind.

"Now I have to go" she dismissed, smiling at both.

"Already! But Sakura-chan we are injured and you are our doctor, you can not ignore us! "

"I'll come back later and then if you have the strength to bicker you're not so bad"

"Ugh" Naruto muttered, throwing himself on the cot.

Sasuke lifted his eyes from the sheet and just for a moment, a brief moment, their eyes met and what Sakura saw inside them do not like at all to her.

She literally ran out of the tent and ran headlong for the medical field until hitting the last person she wanted to see at that moment: Ino Yamanaka.

The blonde immediately noticed the state of chronic paranoia in which the psyche of her friend was and plating her with her own body, she wanted to test how far the Uchiha-her obsession had arrived.

"He will go," she cried, "He will go," she repeated like a possessed.

"Front spacious, chill out!" she shook her with such force that almost pull her head, while an indolent Shikamaru, alongside her, uttered these words: "Here we go again!" with the most apathetic tone he could be capable. 

"Sasuke, he, away, want to go, I ... I die!"

A few seconds it took to Ino to put in order the words rambling of her friend, and found that they had a complete sense, after all.

"But you stop saying stupid things! Where do you believe him to go? I have said this to you, Sakura, a million times at least: Naruto will not allow him to go away. "

Sakura kept repeating the same thing like a broken record and she was tired of reassuring her that the Uchiha, to their misfortune, he had no intention of going anywhere and she was not wrong ... _ever_.

But Ino had not looked him in the eyes, she had not seen that shadow, nor captured the aura of cosmic depression around him.

And she ... she was desperate, because what until then had been a simple doubt, it had turned into certainty. And if the trump card was talking about Naruto had been a strategic escape?

"I saw him!" She said with exasperation and Ino began to think seriously of closing her in the house of fools, if necessary with Sasuke - she was losing shots worse than him, maybe the war had serious repercussions.

"You have the crystal ball? You've become a prophet?" she asked, trying to mask her impatience, unlike Shikamaru who did nothing but snort and raise his eyes to heaven, trying to make up for that ballbusting, smoking a cigarette.  
Ino, I tell you that I know, that I'm sure! "

"Did he tell you?" obvious question, then.

"N-no," he was afraid to answer her -. in the most optimistic hypothetis she would given her a drubbing.

"Then how the hell do you know it?" roared like a tenor, making her violet eyes sparkle.

After all that absurd conversation, Sakura, in fact, was not so convinced that she had read in the eyes of Sasuke the right thing - Ino also had this power.  
Maybe she was conditioned by herself and had recognized her greatest fear in that sad look, because she thought that eventuality from morning to night. Maybe Sasuke was just sad for other reasons that had nothing to do with abandoning the village ... and her ... again.

"Now I do not have time to listen to your ravings. We have to finish to arrange the funeral. "Snapped the blonde, surpassing her.

What a fool she had been, she had not thought of Ino, nor of Shikamaru, nor to all those who had lost someone during that war, instead she had been lucky enough to meet again... Sasuke.  
"I'm sorry, Ino "she hoped it was enough.

"It does not matter, at least your bullshit distract me a bit '. And anyway, I'm willing to bet a dinner, that the Uchiha – "Alas!", she wanted to add, but avoided - will remain between us and... for a long time "

Sakura smiled. It seemed to be an eternity since she and Ino were competing for his heart, which was not beating either for one or the other. But they did not care. He was the greatest, the most beautiful, the most cool and with time they would have discovered that he was also the _most_ _asshole_, but loved him unconditionally.  
When the Raikage had sentenced him to death, Ino had cried, less than she had certainly, but she had been crying and when he had arrived on the battlefield, if it was not for Shikamaru and Choji, she would jump at his neck. However, after waking up from Tsukuyomi, the interest of her seemed to have concentrated on ... someone else, someone unexpected that seemed incredibly return her attentions.

"So much the better!" Sakura had thought "A rival less"  
With the heart a little lighter, she went to the tent of Tsunade who was collecting her things for the return to Konoha.

"Tsunade-sama"

"Ah, Sakura, are you?"

The woman looked really felt for the events of the war, a period of rest would surely helped her, though with the power of Byakugou, the cells will rejuvenate her fast and her beauty remained intact.

Sakura realized that she held the same power and then Sasuke would always seen her young and beautiful. She smiled like an idiot.

Because she could not think of nothing but Sasuke?

"I know what you're thinking," she surprised her enough to make her blush.

"For Real?"

Since Tsunade could read minds? Or was it so obvious that she thought Sasuke every second?

"The fact that I have decided to abdicate, it means that I can no longer be your teacher"

"Ah was that !" she thought, breathing a sigh of relief - a topic like that would be extremely awkward to deal with Tsunade.

"But I think that I can not teach you anything. You've become a sennin very powerful and you will be an excellent substitute "  
The words of the Tsunade filled her heart with joy. When that day, many years before, she was presented to the sight of her, begging her to take her as a student, she had not planned to become a sennin strong as her.

Tsunade was a bit like a second mother, she had made her more confident and had taught her to be a ninja doctor of a certain level.

On the battlefield, fighting at her side she felt finally pleased with herself, and now, having to say goodbye to her, it would have been really hard.  
"Thanks, Tsunade-sama "unnecessary ceremony were not needed with her and she preferred that short thanks to a long farewell speech that she would surely have stopped at the climax.

"I just want to assist you to regenerate Sasuke and Naruto's limbs"

"Forget it! You'll have other things to do when they get back to Konoha. Shizune will explain everything once there. "Categorical, peremptory ... in a word ... Tsunade.

"O-ok!" What else she could answer.

Practically all its unavoidable commitments were reduced to looking after those two, until, someone, probably Kakashi had given them the permission to return to the village.

After all, she was in no hurry to return home except to revise her parents, so she would have enjoyed those days with his two companions, trying to remove from her mind the fatal thoughts about Sasuke and why not, looking to obtain the clarification that she so craved.

Writer's corner

good night! 2:40 a.m. in Italy. During the night I am more focused. No sound, no phone ringing, me and my keyboard. This is the second and final part of the chapter. What will be the plan? What will happen in the next chapter? I advance to you that there will be a sweet scene. As always thank you all, especially the two brave people who have left me a review. I love it! And I hope that you continue to review because your comments are really important to me.

kisses 


	4. Thinking about tomorrow

# 2 Think about tomorrow

For convenience Sakura thought it was better to move into the tent of the two convalescents.

The medical field was practically empty and since the last guests needed of her constant presence - or at least she had convinced herself that it was so - she had taken her sleeping bag and had carved out a small corner, on the side of cot Sasuke.

She had carefully chosen the location: from there, in fact, she could look at him without him noticing - and she liked so much watch him.

During the war and in the few "unforgettable" circumstances in which they met, she had not had the opportunity to observe carefully how much he had changed. The features were delicate as when he was twelve, maybe slightly hardened only at the height of the jaw. His hair hanged to the sides of the eyes tightly closed - or at least she hoped, would not have been very uplifting to be caught red handed -; the nails of his right hand were chipped in several places, while on the other hand, the stump does not seem so bad bandaged. The pale chest raised and lowered rhythmically chanting his deep breaths. She was almost certain that he was sleeping and an unmanageable desire to touch him began to swirl around her head like a pesky fly.

Not that in those days she had not had the opportunity, but what she was feeling in that moment was the desire to caress him gently, without a reason; just push aside the hair from his forehead and test the softness of his skin to be absolutely certain that he was really there, that was not one of her dreams in which the team 7 was finally brought together and he was returned home ... returned to her.

Leveraging the deafening noise coming from the bed of her second patient - one blond, one that was snoring - she lowered the zipper of the sleeping bag and slipped out.  
She walked on tiptoe to the cot and quandolei was right at his face ...

.. She decided to immediately return back.

All the courage, once she had come within inches of him, had suddenly disappeared. She turned, then, and moved to return to her bed, when she had the feeling of being watched.

Not from Naruto, it was certain, unless he was not able to snoring too awake.

She pushed the corner of her eyes to where it was possible - if she could, until behind the head - and the disturbing feeling that until recently had been a simple doubt, turned into absolute certainty: he was awake and he was looking her.

She did not have to be either a good show ... unlike lucky ones who had been allowed to return to the village, she had not yet been able to enjoy the pleasure of a shower. Her hair was dirty and knotted and his jonin overalls, still without a sleeve, had to throw in the toxic waste. At least she was able to fix the scars caused by the acid, reducing them to small halos a little 'lighter than the color of her skin.

"What you're doing?"

"I'd want to touch you but in the end I scared shitless "

"The bandages. I had to check the bandages"

She hoped that he had believed her. Explain to him the real reason would be humiliating and even though she had already accumulated some experience in that field, she seemed totally out of place to reiterate again that traumatic experience.

"You should sleep"

Great suggestion that she was going to put into practice immediately to get out of that embarrassing situation.

She clenched her fists and with her head between her shoulders went back to her kennel, her tail between her legs and a much anger inside. She was angry with her bad instincts that always advised her actions more wrong and tried to follow the "advice" of Sasuke, hoping not to invoke his name in sleep as often happened - she did not want to do other bad impressions.

Sasuke closed his eyes again.

He could not blame her: sleeping with that harvester in the ears was not a simple thing. However, even in complete silence, he probably would not be able to sleep.

There were too many questions still to be fixed: the five Kage had not yet decided what to do with him and he did not know whether to hope or not in their pardon. A sentence of death or imprisonment for life, in fact, would have solved the second question: what to do with his life.

Come back to the village? Start again as if nothing had happened?

Sasuke closed his eyes again.

He could not blame her: sleeping with that harvester in the ears was not a simple thing. However, even in complete silence, he probably would not be able to sleep.

There were too many questions still to be fixed: the five Kage had not yet decided what to do with him and he did not know whether to hope or not in their pardon. A sentence of death or imprisonment for life, in fact, would have solved the second question: what to do with his life.

Come back to the village? Start again as if nothing had happened?

Surely Naruto and Sakura would be happy, but he ... he would be able to forgive himself? And the others would be happy?

In a public trial how many people would be on his side?

He was hoping to at least avoided that humiliation, that the Kage decided in private, without involving the people of the village. The Uchiha were unpopular even before all that he had done, an exemplary punishment would have received much approvals.

Basically does not matter to him, he felt totally depleted and in a certain sense he had already obtained his freedom. After the fight with Naruto he understood he could trust people and as far as you think you can do everything yourself, the man, the real one, can not be an island. Only with the cooperation and the sharing of the joys and sorrows of life you can live a life full.

But he was not ready for the jump, he could not erase years of loneliness and returning to the village as if by magic. His character needed to metabolize the new possibilities and to understand if it was the right one for himself and for others, and between them, there was also Sakura which continued to pretend that all was well: she looked at him during the night and fled his eyes during the morning.

he knew that that miserable word would not solve much, it would take more than one "Forgive me" - as heart-felt - to fix things with her. He felt indebted to her because, despite everything, she never stopped believing in him. He was ashamed for all he had done to her, but the biggest problem now was figuring out what to do with her. her eyes betrayed still that feeling that she had confessed, sooner or later, that speech would come out again and he would have to give an answer ... a real answer, not a cryptic "thank you". He had to analyze his feelings for her and this thing scared him more than one process, more than one sentence.

He no longer wanted to make her suffer, she did not deserve it, this time his answer would have to be definitive. If he had decided to refuse her again, maybe she would put his soul in peace and would start her life with someone else.

"Someone else ...

But who? "

Naruto had always been in love with her and with him out of the game he would have had full scope. From what he understood, however, during the period in which he had been away from Konoha, Hinata Hyuga had shown interest in the usuratonkachi.

The idea of Naruto contended by two women was a scene so ridiculous that he involuntarily he raised his lips into a smile evil.

He did not envy him at all.

In all likelihood Naruto would choose for bigamy not to hurt anyone.

However, he had not noticed any languid glance between his two teammates - and he was a great observer - the possibility Sakura could fall back on him was infinitesimal. Also, start a new life with Naruto would not have erased the past: the memory of Team7 would always be too alive and with it his memory.

He then moved on to the next candidate: "Great eyebrows"

The ninja of youth had always had a weakness for Sakura, he had repeatedly declared his love with a theatricality able to embarrass a dramaturge.

No, he could not wish for her such a misfortune.

At that point it would have been better for her to be an old maid.

Shikamaru seemed more interested in women's sand.

The "substitute", that strange, was more ignorant of him within love. Sakura seemed to feel affection for him, but as a friend, as "human case" perhaps, and even then, as his deputy, he would not have helped her to forget.

Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru - because with those two, or you take the complete package or nothing.

Frankly, he did not know if Sakura liked dogs. Kiba had a bad temper and would not have had an easy life with her. It would have been a relationship a bit turbulent. And then he was too rough for her.

He narrowed just one eye and spied her. She was curled up in her sleeping bag, her hair behind her ear and a serene expression on her face.

Too rough.

Although at that time she had changed, every time his eyes rested on her, he saw again that little boring girl, that it was his duty to protect.

During the war he was not very concerned for her safety, he often preferred to protect Naruto and not her.

But it had been necessary - or at least that was his excuse - because without Naruto war could be considered lost. Kakashi and Sakura represented a burden and a danger. They had risked falling under the influence of Tsukuyomi - and in that case he had protected them because they were closest to Naruto -; they had threatened to plunge into a sea of lava - Naruto had grabbed them , and he saved him in turn.

He wondered if he really did not care for their safety or if he will lull that Naruto would always come to their help before him. A legacy of what had happened in the forest of death and during the fight with "evil" Gaara - not the sort of Gandhi that he had become.

Surely he was more likeable before he started to act like a wise man.

Evidently Naruto had to be contagious.

Naruto always had launched himself into melee to defend all, the role of savior was always congenial to him, while he ...

He wanted to be strong, he thought of nothing else, even if life in Team had taught him to take care of his teammates, especially Sakura who was the weak link. His ego had suffered a big setback seeing repeatedly Naruto save cabin and puppets and at that point he had decided to take the easy way to get power. Orochimaru was serving it to him on a silver platter, but at a high price that he had hoped not to have to pay - become the container of that repulsive fellow was a horrifying idea. Fortunately at the time to pay the bill, the sennin was too weak and he very, very, powerful, and after obtaining a degree in herpetology, he had defeated him. The damned sign had been cursed, but for a while, at least until they had killed Itachi, he could tolerate it and use it in his favor.

The team Taka was not comparable to the Seven, but he needed a team to deal with the Akatsuki's members and Itachi. Karin sometimes reminded Sakura: With Suigetsu she had the same relationship that Sakura had with Naruto and ... Karin, like her, had shown repeatedly to be particularly fond of him - even in ways somewhat embarrassing.

He was surrounded by three stranielementi, which basically served the purpose. With them he had not shared his childhood, he had not a common past than to be part of the nursery as to Orochimaru and affection they had never occupied a special place in his thoughts.

But if they were dead? If Kakashi and Sakura were dead, how he would feel?

Probably badly now, but at that moment the thing he wanted most was to defeat Kaguya - and later becoming the prince of darkness - he might not have felt anything.

The situation was slightly changed when he was found, then, in trouble and Sakura and Obito had saved him.

She was slumped over him, exhausted by the effort, like a dead leaf, and their eyes were crossed.

In her green irises, she strenuously tried to keep open, he saw an incredulous relief and ... something else. Something that for a moment, an instant, he had shared: it was affection, mixed with that gratitude that the mask of necessary indifference that he had decided to wear did not allow him to prove with words. It was not luck, but the determination of Sakura to allow him to cross the portal. Her face was beaded with sweat, pale, and the burned skin of her right arm was burning beneath his fingers.

It was so obvious that she had not risked so much for fear that without his contribution the fortunes of war would inevitably have been in favor of the enemy.

This reasoning could apply to Obito, but not to her.

She had always tried to save him: from himself, from revenge pain. But he never gave her a chance to do it.

Perhaps the time had come?

Give her that chance could be the key would allow him to finally live those happy days that she had promised him years before?

His synapses were creaking under the weight of those thoughts which he considered too absurd even if necessary: as soon he would have to make a decision - if he had the chance.

In those years he had never thought of love, in a romantic sense. He was not at all predisposed to effusions as walking on the street hand in hand, kissing in public or attending boring dinner with the in-laws - He was sure that Sakura liked exceedingly those stupid things.

She had not the slightest concept of what was his concept of couple ... and even he, since it was not useful to win battles or to satisfy revenge.

He began to think about this issue.

Maybe live with a woman, have children, have a family and hope that no one decides one day to massacre it could be more or less an idea, but too far away from the immediate realization that Sakura would have wanted.

Moreover, it would be enough to her? That is, she would be content of his rough ways, his indolence in speaking and the total absence of romance?

Frankly, in a situation like that, could not imagine otherwise. He was not a man "flowers and chocolates", able to whisper sweet words to the ear, he was ... a Uchiha!

His father had never shown any kind of emotion towards his mother, at least not in front of him and Itachi; he respected her as the mother of his children, as a woman devoted to the Clan, but as far as he could remember, he had never seen any effusion between the two that was not a chaste kiss on the cheek.

His father was a real man, all in one piece Perhaps, if one day he had a son he would have educated him as his father had done with him and Itachi, making it a strong boy he would teach him the Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu and also the Chidori; he would have forbidden him to overuse Sharingan and would destroy The Uchiha's stele before he was able to read it and decide to pull out the eyes of his possible second

Only at the thought he felt stressed.

What woman in the world - besides Sakura of course - could have accepted to carry an awkward surname as his?

But above all, one had to be in two to procreate (source: Suigetsu) and for a new stock of Uchiha needed a worthy woman - and Sakura was still a sennin and an excellent medical ninja

It was extremely odd and inappropriate that the name of Sakura appeared often in the reasoning that he was doing

Surely those links had to be derived from the constant attendance or from having her under his eyes sleeping on her couch, - not that he had begun the reasoning wondering what he felt for her ... what was already a back seat to the idea to march on Konoha with a host of small Uchiha's "males" and subdue Dobe's daughter

It was really fun to think about a future so bright ... as impossible.

The basic problem was residing in that chaos of regrets, remorse and guilt he brought with him for too long

How could he think about the future, when his whole being was still leaning towards the past?

The question I had to ask himself was "who he was" and for the moment he could not answer because he knew just what he could : whatever he wanted

It was no longer obliged to perform any role: he was no longer to be an avenger, a nukenin or the big bad kept the peace by force - even if the third option still did not displease him even though he had been forced to dismiss it because of force majeure (he no longer had any intention to put up another sermon by Naruto during his long-lived life)

Until that he had not been able to respond coherently to that question and had not expiated, at least in part, his sins, he knew that he could not take any decision on other issues, so to speak, more frivolous

The way in which he accomplished this highly personal mission was not yet clear, but he would have thought about

The danger "Sakura" remained: this time, he was sure, she would not have heard reasons and in front of an his umpteenth rejection , even if motivated (by pure selfishness, that Sakura would surely have understood), she probably would have sent him from on the other side of the globe with a punch or she would kill herself by Harakiri in Konoha Square, in front of all the people who would again regarded him as a monster In both cases, the epilogue was not tempting.

He could not rely on her understanding, by what right then, because forgiveness was still in doubt.

Her gestures were confused and contradictory, sign that she was ill at ease in his presence.

Something in his brilliant mind suggested to him that Sakura, most probably, had not yet forgiven him and that her expectations for the future did not include to wait any longer.

Have a confrontation with her now was unthinkable. It was already so much, according to his yardsticks, she still addressing word.

He did not have to continue to deceive her unless it were not entirely convinced of seeing himself a future with her.

Probably all those reasonings would not have led to an immediate answer, but he could not deny to have a special bond with her, something that was not a fraternal feeling as what he felt for Naruto; something of which he was totally unaware and that had never even touched the antechamber of his brain.

He was not at ease, he felt it ... and he had no idea how to get out of that situation in a painless way, at least to her.

Maybe if she had severely beaten him, things would have been affixed by themselves, without the need for words.

How he hated the words and then he had never been able to use the right ones with her. With Naruto was different, was logorrheic and he was only forced to listen, listen, and listen, and listen, and often agree with him because of exhaustion

But she ... she would have asked questions and demanded answers

There were too many things on hold, including reciprocal attempted murders, a "thank you" incomprehensible, a series of insults uttered free during the war, a hand stuck in her chest and a "forgive me for everything I've done so far" deserved a deepening in virtue of what is listed first

The idea of escape was not so horrible as an option after all he was used to the life of nukenin but the certainty that those two would have started to chase him to the ends of the world to bring him home was equally disturbing

If he thought back to his possible "substitutes" felt a strange tingling in his left hand - what now twittered only in his dreams. From one point of view it was as if he was convinced that I have the sacrosanct right to have her for himself if only briefly, and that in any case she would not have wanted anyone else.

Sasuke could not know what that thought could be true , and that even that those same reasonings were also enlivening Sakura's night which like a tormented soul tossed and turned in her sleeping bag thinking about tomorrow.

_Writer's Corner_

_Good Evening!_

_Late, I know, I'm unforgivable  
The translation of this chapter has been very difficult There are certainly errors. I'm sorry._

_However in the end I hope I was coherent enough This is one of the holes that I wanted to fill: what the hell they did before the funeral? Since there was no way to know it I imagined a night of paranoia on the future with a Sakura would come close to Sasuke but fears being rejected again and Sasuke who does not know what to do with his life All the boring part of Sasuke's reasoning would in practice be the first inkling then will lead to his decision to leave for his journey of expiation But before we get to that point there are other scattered small holes to fill._

_I thank all those who have entered this story among the stories followed I invite you to express your considerations about the history and also give me some advice about the plot (I have it in mind, but the advice could make me consider the aspects of "holes" could threaten to leave out)_

_a big kiss_

_Blueorchid31 _


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